Truckee, like many high-mountain towns, is a historic place. This is where the Donner Party was trapped on their way to California, and Donner Lake and Donner State Park are named in their honor. Truckee itself would be founded a little later, in the mid-late 1800s, as a railroad town along the Transcontinental. Originally, in fact, it was called Coburn's Station. Today, it's still a stop along Amtrak rail.

Truckee history is preserved in its downtown, where many of the buildings have stood for over a century. One of the earliest ski resorts in the United States, the Hilltop Lodge, no longer acts as a resort, but makes for an interesting visit. Several modern ski resorts, such as Northstar at Tahoe, among others, are close to and within Truckee. The Sierra Nevadas surround it, and recreational opportunities from biking to boating (whether on the Donner Lake or nearby Lake Tahoe) are readily explored.

Some fun art galleries, children's museums and sports center are within Truckee city limits, and Truckee can serve nicely as a stop between Reno and Sacramento. Pleasant, small and much it was in the 1800s, Truckee has a timeless, relaxed feel any day of the year.

Truckee is about 31 miles west of Reno and about 12 miles north of Lake Tahoe.